Key-ring



(No Model.)

G. 0. WALTON.

KEY RING.

No. 586,407. Patented July 13, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE O. WALTON, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

KEY-RING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,407, dated July 13, 1897.

Application filed November 24, 1896. Serial No. 613,254. (No model.) i

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE O. WALTON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at 'Easton, in the county of Northampton, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key-Rings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

My invention relates to key-rings, and has for its object to provide a device of this nature which will be cheap of manufacture and may be readily operated to apply and remove a key and one in which when a key is applied it will not be accidentally removed.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification and in which like letters of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a sectional View of my device, showing the elements thereof in the first position which they assume when the key is being applied. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the positions of the elements after the inner ring has been removed to carry the key along' the outer ring; and Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the elements of the ring in the same position as in Fig. 1 and illustrating the means in which a key is finally arranged upon the ring.

Referring now to the drawings, in constructing a device in accordance with my invention I provide a broken ring I), on one side of the gap 0 of which is an outward bend d, resulting in an inner recess 6.

Arranged within the ring 5 is a second similar ring f, the gap g of which in one position is in alinement with the recess e in the outer ring, while when the inner ring is moved to its opposite limit the inward bend h and resultant recess 6 are adjacent the corresponding positions 61 and e of the outer ring, as shown in Fig. 2. In order to maintain the relative positions of the rings and to allow of oscillation of one within the other, I have formed in the ring I) longitudinal slots Z and m, in which play heads of screws or rivets 0 and p, securely fastened to the inner ring. A third slot 7" is formed in the inner ring f, in which plays a screw or rivets, securely fastened in the outer ring. Thus it will be seen that as the inner ring is oscillated the rivets will play backward and forward in their respective slots, and not only will they limit the extent of oscillation, but will prevent displacement of the parts.

The operation of my device, which is as follows, will be readily understood.

The parts being in the positions shown in Fig. 1, a key is entered through the opening 0 of the outer ring, the edge of the opening in the head thereof entering the recess '5 of the inner ring. By then holding the outer ring firmly and pressing the key in the direction of the bend d the opening of the key will receive the ring I) and the key will finally lie upon the bend cl, as shown in Fig. 2. By then retaining the key upon the bend cl and returning the ring to its former position the key may be manipulated to pass from the bend and inclose both the inner and outer ring, as shown in Fig. 3. Thus it will be seen that it being necessary to conversely operate the ring to remove the key, and which requires manipulation of the elements of the device, the key cannot leave the ring accidentally, but instead will be held securely thereon.

It will be readily understood that I may vary the specific form and arrangement of the elements of my device without departing in any manner from the spirit of my invention and that I may use any material that may prove desirable in the manufacture of the article.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A device of the class described comprising a plurality of open rings connected to permit oscillation of one within another, said rings having opposite bends arranged to be alternately alined with each other and with the openings.

2. A device of the class'described comprising a plurality of open rings connected to permit oscillation of one within another, said rin gs having bends arranged to be alternately alined with each other and with the openings of the ring, and means for limiting the extent of oscillation.

3. A device of the class described comprising a plurality of open rings adapted to os- In testimony whereof I aifix my signature cillate one upon another, said rings having in presence of two witnesses. opposite bends arranged to be alternately alined with each other and with the openings in the rings, slots formed in the rings and rivets carried by. the rings and adapted to play in the slots in their opposite rings.

GEORGE O. WALTON.

Witnesses:

CHARLES J. ARM, JAooB BITZEE. 

